International Airlines Group commits to powering 10 per cent of its flights with sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.

In the UK, IAG said it will purchase one million tonnes of sustainable jet fuel per year enabling it to cut its annual emissions by two million tonnes by 2030. This equates to removing one million cars from Europe’s roads each year. In addition, IAG will become the first airline group worldwide to extend its net zero commitment to its supply chain. The Group will be working with its suppliers to enable them to commit to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 for the products and services they provide to IAG.

IAG is investing US$400 million in the development of sustainable aviation fuel in the next 20 years. The Group is partnering with sustainable aviation fuel developers, LanzaJet and Velocys. This includes Europe’s first household waste-to-jet fuel plant in the UK which will start operations in 2025. British Airways will also purchase sustainable jet fuel from LanzaJet’s US plant to power some of its flights from late 2022.

With the right policy in place in the next ten years, IAG said that up to 14 plants could be built across the UK, creating 6,500 jobs and saving 3.6 million tonnes of CO2 per annum. Sustainable jet fuel produces at least 70 per cent less carbon emissions than fossil fuel.

Henrik Wareborn, CEO of Velocys, said: “Velocys welcomes our project partner IAG’s commitment to power 10 per cent of its flights with SAF by 2030. Our planned Altalto waste-to-jet-fuel plant will be the UK’s first SAF facility and could be fuelling transatlantic flights in just five years’ time with no need to modify aircraft or engines at all. The fuel, based on technology supplied by Velocys, can offer negative-carbon-emissions fuels with the integration of carbon capture technologies.”